FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpine Biomed Corporation, a global leader in specialty diagnostic devices, announced today that it has doubled its manufacturing capacity and expanded its worldwide network by opening a new facility in Vietnam. The company will produce and distribute medical devices that are in increasing demand for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from its new manufacturing facility located in HoChiMinh City.

The new facility is Alpine Biomed's latest investment to expand its products and capabilities. In January, the company acquired Stellate Systems Inc. to increase its neurodiagnostics business and boost its presence in the rapidly growing sleep diagnostics market. Since partnering in 2007 with Water Street Healthcare Partners, a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on the health care industry, Alpine Biomed has achieved record sales and revenue growth. It is projected to increase sales as much as 25 percent in 2009.

"Our new facility in Vietnam is another key component of our strategic plan to become one of the world's leading specialty diagnostic device companies," said Alpine Biomed President and CEO John Arnott. "It is a state-of-the-art facility featuring the most advanced technologies that connect our manufacturing centers around the world to provide our customers with the highest-quality devices that diagnose a range of gastrointestinal and neurological disorders."

Alpine Biomed's new facility is one of the first U.S.- headquartered companies in HoChiMinh City to receive Medical Device Quality Management System certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It also has been registered with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The manufacturing center will export diagnostic devices to customers throughout the world and employ approximately 100 people.

"I am pleased that our new facility has received certification from ISO, the world's preeminent organization for quality," said Vietnam General Manager Minh Le. "Every element of our new facility is designed and built to achieve the upmost standards for quality. Our management team and engineers are dedicated to providing our customers and their patients around the world with the highest-quality devices in the industry."

About Alpine Biomed

Alpine Biomed is a global leader in specialty diagnostic devices for the gastroenterology and neurology clinical markets. The company produces diagnostic tools used for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), commonly referred to as acid reflux disease, as well as for neurological conditions such as sleep disorders. Founded in 1994, Alpine Biomed is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California with manufacturing facilities in Canada, Denmark and Vietnam. For more information about Alpine Biomed, visit www.alpinebiomed.com.

About Water Street Healthcare Partners

Water Street Healthcare Partners is a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on health care. With more than $1 billion of capital under management, Water Street is one of the most active investors in the health care industry. The firm has a strong record of building market-leadership companies across key growth sectors in health care. It has partnered with some of the world's leading health care companies on its investments including: Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Smith & Nephew. Water Street's team is comprised of industry executives and private equity professionals with decades of experience investing in and operating global health care businesses. The firm is headquartered in Chicago. For more information about Water Street, visit www.wshp.com.